Stopped in Silence
I discovered the power of fear when I became stuck to my driveway, as if my feet were crazy—glued to the cement. As much as I tried, I could not move them. The realization that my daughters were playing in Nancy's house, just one-half block away, paralyzed my legs making me unable to move when I neared the end of our driveway. Dense, black smoke was rising from behind the Sycamore Maple trees on the other side of the street and was enveloping three houses, making them barely visible. Nancy's house was one of them.I tried to call out for my daughters hoping to see them run safely to my arms, but my voice was also stuck—stuck in my throat with no intention of coming out. There I stood; helpless, paralyzed and silenced by fear, unable to protect the two little girls I loved more than even I had realized. Seconds ticked away like hours as I silently said, \"Please let them be okay.\"
Although trapped in a body that couldn't move or speak, I could still hear. I could hear other mothers anxiously calling their children. I could hear an eerie silence that covered the neighborhood instead of the usual happy voices of children. And, finally, I could hear the siren of the fire engine. As the fire truck rounded the corner the siren announced, \"We're on our way,\" and instantly it dissolved the crazy glue that had held my feet to the cement and it unlocked the soundproof box that had silenced my voice. I was free to make sure my daughters were safe.
As I continued down the driveway, in what felt like slow motion, two little girls, my two little girls, ran toward me from across the street. They had come home to tell me about the fire in the garage next to Nancy's house. Not only did my feet and voice work now, but my eyes were also in good working order and had no trouble producing tears of happiness and relief. Tears that could only be explained to two little girls by saying, \"Because Mommy loves you.\"
精美译文：
我终于领略了恐惧的力量——我整个人被粘在车道上，就好像我的双脚被强力胶粘到了水泥路上一样，无论我怎样挣扎，就是不能移动半步。快走到车道尽头时我意识到两个女儿就在离此处半个街区的南希的房子里玩耍，这使我的两腿瘫软，不能动弹。浓密的黑烟从街道对面的洋桐枫树后面升起来，包围了三幢房屋，几乎都看不到房子了。南希的房子就是其中之一。
我想大声呼唤我的女儿，希望看到她们平安无事，奔向我的臂弯，但是我的声音也卡住了——卡在嗓子里，根本无意出来。我就这样站着，恐惧让我变得无助、瘫软、哑然无声，无法保护我的两个小女儿，这时我比以往任何时候都清楚地意识到我爱她们。几秒钟长似数小时，我无声地祈祷：“求你让她们平安。”
虽然身体陷入了不能动也不能说的境地，我还能够听到。我能听到其他孩子的母亲焦急地呼唤着她们的孩子；我能听到一种怪异的寂静笼罩着四邻，而不再有孩子们平日的欢笑声。终于，我听到了消防车的汽笛声。救火车接近了，汽笛声在宣告：“我们来了！”。汽笛声马上溶掉了把我的脚粘在水泥路上的强力胶，打开了锁住我声音的隔音箱。我自由了，可以去证实我的女儿是否平安了。
就在我顺着车道走着的时候，两个小女孩，我的两个小女儿，穿过街道向我跑来，就好像在播放慢动作一样。她们跑回家来告诉我，南希家隔壁的车库着火了。现在，不仅我的双脚和声音恢复了正常功能，眼睛也运转良好了，毫不费力地制造出了幸福和欣慰的泪水。这泪水，我只能向两个小女儿解释说：“因为妈妈爱你们。”
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